What is the usual turnaround time for CPAM to process applications after providing an S1 and other requested documents? We presented our documents to the local CPAM office six months ago seemingly to there satisfaction though since then there has been a request for another copy of both of our passports and then 4 weeks later there was a request for another copy of a birth certificate. Seems chaotic.

Normally, once the S1 has been processed your rights are backdated to the start date of the S1.
So hopefully if the OP has needed treatment and they don’t have any other cover in force, they’re saving up their brown feuilles de soins so they can claim their reimbursements when they get their attestations!

My application took just over six weeks, a few months later some neighbours took twice as long. There is no set time span. I always dealt with CPAM in person and if a problem cropped up I went in to deal with it face to face.

Been ‘to pop in and see them’ twice - at the times they requested yet another document copy! Local office says it’s personnel in Bayonne who deal with it and it’s nothing to do with the local office (advice accompanied by the proverbial Gallic shrug).

Yes, that’s correct, France has set up one national centre to deal with all healthcare applications from EU inactifs. Local CPAMs simply send everything on to the national centre, and they examine the applications and make the decisions.

Actually, ignore my previous comment - I’ve just re-read the thread and realised you’re not inactif, you’re here with an S1, so AFAIK your application doesn’t go to the national processing centre. I think 6 months is quite unusual for processing an S1 application. It’s not as if there is any decision to be made because the UK has already made the decision, all they have to do is process it.

Just helped an elderly neighbour to get her Carte Vitale, took a couple of weeks to get the S1 from the UK (she had no memory of receiving this), then about 4 weeks for CPAM to respond requesting that an additional form be completed with details of her husband - then the carte Vitale itself appeared 2 weeks later.

I would contact them, and popping in is probably best as the telephone number is one of those lovely ones with a surcharge…

That does make it more difficult to chase. However, they have already written to you, so perhaps a letter as you have all the contact details? I actually find that now most of French ‘officialdom’ is on email, they actually respond very well to that. Much faster than a letter. So my advice would be to try and find the email of the person dealing with this, or just the email of the department. Best of luck!

Both letters from different people, each requesting different additional items (another passport copy then another birth certificate copy), several weeks apart - neither letter had an email address, just the name.

In view of the two separate requests, it just seems rather inefficient.

If you google the main CPAM offices you may find the official postal address and an email… Failing that, call on their charge line and ask for it. Being Scottish, I object to paying for premium numbers, so always try to avoid whenever I can.

Did you press your local office as to what the normal procedure and time limits are for your region, and ask if your case is in any way unusual? I would be kicking up a small, but very polite, fuss by now, asking how I can find out why it is taking so long and who exactly is dealing with my application - name, address, tel number and email.

My OHs application for health cover (without an S1) took months, and many repeat requests for info. When I moved over a year later mine only took a few weeks - although all this was before PUMA so should be easier now.

But it sounds as if you not doing the same thing, but are applying for health cover for the first time with an S1?

However, we received S1’s for the first time last October. And duly took them into CPAM and are still waiting, so around 5 months so far. For us they were sent off the international handling centre in Belfort not Bayonne, and we have had a number of exchanges with them as they seem convinced that we fall into the working “frontalier” category so keep asking for last three months Swiss payslips. Our last few messages have gone unanswered, and when asking in our local CPAM they deny all responsibility as it is for the handling centre at Belfort.